The Turkish National Defence Ministry has announced that since the beginning of 2024, Turkish forces have neutralised 1,427 terrorists in ongoing operations.
Ministry spokesperson Brigadier Administration Zeki Akturk detailed at a news conference on Thursday that Turkish forces are continuing their uninterrupted fight against all threats, including terrorist organisations PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG, Daesh, and FETO.
“Our Turkish Armed Forces have neutralised 1,427 terrorists since the beginning of this year, 72 of them in the last week, in northern Iraq and Syria,” Akturk said. Of these, 681 were neutralised in Iraq and 746 in northern Syria.
He also emphasised ongoing cooperation and negotiations with Iraq in the fight against terrorism.
Akturk also highlighted Türkiye’s advanced border protection measures, noting that in the last week, 340 people, including four terrorists, were caught attempting illegal border crossings. Since the beginning of this year, 65,225 people have been prevented from crossing illegally.
Iraq, F-16s, and Syria
Regarding regional operations, Akturk emphasised that cooperation and negotiations with neighbouring Iraq are ongoing in the fight against terrorism. Ministry sources further confirmed positive and coordinated work with Iraqi authorities for establishing a joint operations centre.
“Our anti-terror operations in the field are being successfully conducted. We are carrying out positive and coordinated work with Iraqi authorities and the regional administration. Technical work related to the establishment of the joint operations centre is also progressing without any problems,” they told local media.
On the procurement of F-16 fighter jets from the United States, they stated that contracts have been signed, with ongoing detailed work.
"This is a multifactorial process. Details that will emerge following the decisions will be shared with the public in due course," the sources added.
On relations with Syria, the ministry reiterated Türkiye's commitment to eliminating terrorist threats, protecting its borders under the principle of legitimate defence, and upholding Syria’s territorial integrity and stability.
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